ping pong table

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

my frens dapne like to play ping pong

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Then, the only sound to be heard is Major Peach’s slow but deliberate footsteps towards the middle of the room. His face is ashen, concentrated. No flicker, and now there is no frown. Staring only at the ball as he nears to it. At the edge of the table he stands quietly, as if meditating, still with eyes fixed on the white sphere. Moments, just seconds, seem to last for ages until, at last, Major Peach reaches inside his jacket pocket and produces a penknife. He swiftly turns his head 90 degrees and makes another 90 degree turn with his body – all this in two quick movements startle the two technicians as the Major fixes on Brett. He says calmly and flatly: “You are witnesses.”

Daphne is puzzled. She had been drafted in to “help for a few minutes” by her colleague and friend Brett. She now stands by the wall, becoming more apprehensive with every second. She does not know what to make of this situation. A ping-pong ball? This weird Major Peach? She looks at Brett, expecting a shrug from him, but instead – and now she is really scared – she sees him open-mouthed and eyes bulging, staring at the back of Major Peach. The Major turns back to his task. He gradually draws the penknife down towards the apex of the ball. As it gets nearer his hand starts to tremble. The major must keep himself together. He knows that no one else can perform this task. He can’t walk away now. In order to steady his nerves he simply freezes every muscle in his body. The knife remains suspended above the ball.

The information about ping pong table presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about ping pong table or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Arcade games began to be so popular in the early 70s. Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney made Atari that released the Pong video game (based on ping-pong or table tennis) that became almost everyone’s favorite. The success of the Pong video game spawned lots of imitations and created more and more avid video players. Eventually video game arcades abounded through the 80s. They can be found in the malls, department stores, bars and even in restaurants and movie houses. They’re everywhere in the United States.

Those who only know one or two facts about ping pong table can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you're learning here.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

play ping pong on the ping pong table

The only way to keep up with the latest about ping pong table is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about ping pong table, it won't take long for you to become an influential authority.

During the economic bubble of the late nineties, employers were in head-to-head competition with each other to offer benefits and salaries that would draw the best employees. For job seekers, that environment was almost a pick and choose situation in which they could nearly name their salary and benefits package. Many of the dot coms, flush with venture capital, were offering performance incentives that included sports cars, trips around the world, in-office massages, and ping pong tables in the employee lounge. The goal was to attract and retain quality employees.

Drakesbad is plenty kid friendly, with games and puzzles in the common lodge, a ping pong table, and a terrific tire swing in the shape of a pony. Even swimming pool toys are provided.

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you're fully informed about ping pong table, keep reading.

The dinner bell rings promptly at six, but there's no hurry. Show up any time before seven and you'll be fed, and fed well. We dined on tilapia and fresh vegetables, prepared with an Asian flair. Our hosts, Ed and Billie, made the rounds, welcoming the new guests and sharing pictures from previous years with the regulars. The youngster at our table bolted his food and rushed out to join the sunset horseback ride with the other kids while his mom enjoyed her meal at a more leisurely pace.

The kids returned as evening settled in around us. Dusk hours at Drakesbad are quiet but still social, with families playing board games in the lodge or sitting around the campfire. Drakesbad generously supplies the makings for s'Mores, but you'll want to get there quick if there are a lot of kids around - any that weren't on the ride had rushed to the campfire to build their own toasted marshmallow treats. The lights go out around 10 p.m., leaving you to the starlight and the glow of the kerosene lanterns. You can soak in the pool under the stars or curl up in the comfort of your room.

That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Friday, September 22, 2006

play ping pong need ping pong table

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of ping pong table, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of ping pong table.

If you're having problems with your game or are just a beginner and need all the help you can get, this article we'll go over a few tips while playing that can help develop you into a better player over time.

It may surprise you, but table tennis strategy can be quite complicated as there are so many different types of players. There are those who are more offensive minded and look to finish off their opponent quickly each point. Then there are those who play a steady table control game and pick their spots. Of course there is always the defensive minded player who waits for his opponent to make a mistake. Some of the following tips will help you with some or all of these players.

If you don't have accurate details regarding ping pong table, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don't let that happen: keep reading.

There are types of players called pips-out players. These are players who try to "kill" the ping pong ball by hitting it so that it has no spin. These can be very difficult players to play against, almost like trying to hit a knuckle ball pitcher. Here are some tips on how to handle a pips-out player.

That's the latest from the ping pong table authorities. Once you're familiar with these ideas, you'll be ready to move to the next level.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Facilities in my living apartment.

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

Living in my first apartment was one of the best years of my life. My new roommates turned out to be awesome people. We have all remained friends to this day. Having four guys in one apartment comes with its positives and its negatives. Some of the positives are always having people to play sports with (I can’t count the number of times we played 2v2 basketball), always having someone to play video games with, having friends to go out with, and just being able to have fun with friends. But when you live with three other guys’ things can get messy. Trash piles up everyday, no one cleans the kitchen, and someone always wants to party the night you have an exam to study for.

Overall my first (and only) apartment experience was a good one. I made two solid friends there, although I didn’t meet many other people in the apartment complex. We had good times, especially when we bought a ping pong table for the living room, and great memories. I would highly recommend everyone to live in an apartment at least one year during their college career that is unless you have a sweet condo or house.

The information about ping pong table presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about ping pong table or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

To amuse themselves the staff of the observatory made sledges, used snow shoes and skis, and made an outdoor ping pong table out of frozen snow. They carved wood, and played the pipes, violin, flute, mandolin and accordion. One of their more alarming pastimes was to hurl large boulders over the cliffs so they could hear them rumble and crash into the glen below.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about ping pong table.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

ping pong table can be fascinating

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with ping pong table.

My trip to Bocas started, the way many of my good stories do, with something hitting me in the face: the woman in the aisle seat next to me stood up to get a book out of the overhead when we hit a patch of turbulence—her well-aimed Poland Springs bottle squirted me in the cheek. The waterfire didn’t distract me though—my attention fixed out the window, looking down at the ocean: indigo greens and cobalt blues surrounding the islands that would be my home for the next few days. Bocas Del Toro.

This way, when you are getting set to play someone for the first time you can confidently stride up to the table and grasp the paddle in this cool manner, all the while looking down your nose and thinking to yourself, “look at them pawing their ping pong paddle like a five-year old, and me here with my awesome skills”. You have already won the mental battle, and that is vital for a hard-core ponger. Of course, they could be thinking “look at this dork trying to impress me with some cheesy paddle-grip, and what is he looking at on his nose”. But as long as they don’t say anything out loud, you’re good to go.

I ate breakfast at Shelly’s BBQ, where the atmosphere couldn’t be any further its western sounding namesake. It sits off the main drag in Bocas and the only reason I stumbled upon it was because I was lost. Crammed into a ping pong table-sized space sat four wobbly tables accompanied by several rotting wooden stools. The menu was etched in Spanish chicken scratch on the wall and asked no more than $2 for an item. Stacks of soon-to-be recycled beer bottles rested in the corner and sand covered the floor. I ordered the first thing on the menu, suspiciously called “sandwich”. What arrived was great: a toasty brown flour tortilla over-stuffed with a beef and a bright and crunchy cucumber salsa.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and ping pong table experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to ping pong table.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know the proper way to keep score. Typically I just take turns serving, with each player getting five serves per turn. First one to fifteen wins, with the game point having to come on the serve of my opponent. This may or may not be the proper way to keep score, I make no promises. In fact, if you are planning on entering a tourney or challenging someone at a party, please look into the real rules so that you don’t get embarrassed. Even if you don’t play by the rules it is a fun game. Table tennis is definitely worth checking out. And if you turn out to be a sub-par player, there’s always guitar.

There's no doubt that the topic of ping pong table can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about ping pong table, you may find what you're looking for in the next article.

Monday, September 18, 2006

information about ping pong table

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.

While I was finishing my basement I got a very nice idea of what to make of it. We all wanted a place where the whole family could have some fun and spend time together. Of course we have an entertainment center at home with a great sound system and a big flat screen TV; however we also needed a place for some interactive fun as well. And the decision of the entire family, taken after long discussions, was to get an air-hockey table.

We chose that due to a few good reasons. To start with we have an exciting game that’s quite energetic and fast and despite all that you do not need any strategy or any special knowledge in order to play. In fact you only have to hit the puck and pray it goes into your opponent’s goal. For us this seems just great as anyone can learn to play and become good at it. Another reason is that those tables are hard to break and easy to maintain – exactly what we needed. It’s a thing that will last a long time and won’t need special attention.

It is also quite cheap to run; you only plug it in and turn it on to play, then turn it of, unplug it and cover it. Only uses a bit of electricity and that’s it. It also gave us a choice about the sizes, because if it was a ping-pong or a pool table, it would have been official size only. In fact those are quite ok if you have no space limitations but with our basement the situation wasn’t like that. And the most important reason of course is that an air hockey table is great fun and with it you are in the center of the action, no matter what size it comes in.

You will profit by using some ideas compiled in the list below. Beyond the obvious considerations of location, size, present condition and design of your home, buyers look for special qualities that appeal to their emotions.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and ping pong table experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to ping pong table.

It is your job to prepare the groundwork, to "set the stage" for a buyer to fall in love with your home. Think of what has made your home so special to you and try to highlight these features. Although no home is perfect, you must try to become aware of its shortcomings. Once you do, you have the opportunity to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negatives by making your home more visually appealing.

For example: a long dark hall will appear shorter if wall papered in vertical pastel stripes; or by hanging a few pictures on the walls and installing inexpensive lights above them, you will stop the buyer's eyes along the way. The monotonous tunnel effect will be immediately eliminated!

Selling your home, though rarely a "fun" experience, can be a painless and profitable one if both you and your agent put in the effort. It is this cooperative venture that will meet your goal of selling your home fast, with the least amount of inconvenience and at the best price and terms for you.

That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

know more about ping pong table game.

So what is ping pong table really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about ping pong table--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

Sometimes the most complicated games to master are the ones that are the simplest to explain. What can be simpler than the game of table tennis or ping pong? Two players on opposite ends of a table, separated by a net. Each with a paddle in his hand. One serves, the other returns. They continue to hit the ball until somebody misses. It doesn't get any simpler than that. And yet, this simple game is one of the most difficult games to master for several reasons.

For starters, there is only so much you can do with a ping pong ball. You can hit it with topspin, back spin, or no spin. You can hit it hard or soft. But you can't defy the laws of physics or gravity. Common sense will tell your opponent that if you hit the ball to your left, the ball is going to go to his right. It isn't suddenly going to change direction and head off someplace else.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on ping pong table now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

The point is this. Table tennis is actually a very predictable game if you've studied physics, math and other sciences. Of course most ping pong players have probably spent most of their youths in ping pong halls. Still, it doesn't take long to figure out that the ball is going to react a certain way off of a certain hit.

By the early 1900s, table tennis had already started to take on many of the characteristics of the game that we know and love today. However, it was still seen by most people as after dinner entertainment rather than as a serious sport. During this period publications found it necessary to warn people about what kind of attire they should wear when playing this game, such as not to wear tight fitting clothing. These were obviously meant as satire because of the fact that nobody took the game seriously.

As your knowledge about ping pong table continues to grow, you will begin to see how ping pong table fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

ping pong table: Furniture For Patio, Game Room And Crafts

In this final edition of home furniture we're going to review some of the odds and ends type of pieces you might find in or out of someone's home.

Most people's favorite room in the house is the game room. This is where we all go to play, have fun and basically get away from the everyday hassles of life. Game rooms can be very diverse and most of the furniture one would find in a game room would be the games themselves.

The most common piece of furniture one might find in a game room is a pool table. While the shape of a pool table is standard, the sizes are not. There are regulation size pool tables which can be as large as 8 foot long and then you have your smaller than regulation tables which are usually 6 or 7 feet in length. As for the material pool tables are made of, most of them are made of wood but the type of wood can vary greatly and because of this, the price of the tables themselves can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Another common piece of furniture in a game room is a ping pong table. These too can be regulation at 5 by 9 feet or smaller. Ping pong tables take a lot of abuse so they are made very strong, usually of hard aluminum. There are plenty of styles of these tables to choose from.

Of course no game room would be complete without a bar. Most of these are built into the room and are very stylishly designed. These bars are usually about 6 by 3 feet and are made of many different types of wood with shelves in the back to store your beverage of choice, whatever that may be.

Moving out of the game room we have the ever popular patio. You have, of course heard the joke about the Irish gentleman who lived out doors. His name was patio furniture. Okay, maybe it's not that funny but patio furniture is a big craze with many people. Who can resist sitting out doors in the blazing sun and getting fried to a crisp. Your basic patio furniture consists of tables and chairs, an umbrella, benches, rockers, porch swings, and a ton of garden accessories.

Then of course you have your hobbyist type furniture. For example, for those who like to sew you have your sewing tables. Of course today, in order to be politically correct, they're called work tables, and quite honestly can be adapted to just about any kind of hobby. Of course to keep or store your arts and crafts they have what are called craft armoires. These are really just fancy cabinets but don't tell the craftsmen that. For true artists you have craft tables, art easels, and what they call art taborets. These are just fancy tall dressers but they are very popular.

Needless to say there are more kinds of furniture than we have hours in the day to go over them. We have just scratched the surface in these past three articles which makes you wonder; how come so many furniture stores go out of business?

Friday, September 08, 2006

ping pong table: A Family Drama

September 7, 2006

By JOHN ALTAVILLA, Courant Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- No matter how much Eli Manning accomplishes in the NFL, he will always be Cooper and Peyton Manning's baby brother, even if he manages to lead the Giants over Peyton's Colts in Sunday's Manning Bowl at Giants Stadium.

In some ways, Eli Manning is still the little annoying kid in the backseat on family trips, unable to keep up with Cooper, seven years older, and Peyton, five years his senior, when they would play an NFL numbers game September 7, 2006 By JOHN ALTAVILLA, Courant Staff Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- No matter how much Eli Manning accomplishes in the NFL, he will always be Cooper and Peyton Manning's baby brother, even if he manages to lead the Giants over Peyton's Colts in Sunday's Manning Bowl at Giants Stadium.

In some ways, Eli Manning is still the little annoying kid in the backseat on family trips, unable to keep up with Cooper, seven years older, and Peyton, five years his senior, when they would play an NFL numbers game to pass the time.

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"It was where you would say, `Number 68,' and they would go back and forth naming players in the NFL who were that number," Eli Manning said. "It was kind of who could last the longest, and I'm just sitting there and I couldn't name one guy. When Peyton and Cooper were growing up, my dad was still playing for the Saints and Minnesota, so they were going into the locker room and knew the players. They were just around football. By the time I came around, my dad was done playing football, so I never got that atmosphere."

Peyton and Eli are now peers, college legends at Tennessee and Mississippi and first-round NFL draft picks. Come Sunday, they will also be the first brothers to start against each other at quarterback in NFL history.

"It's certainly unique," Peyton said Wednesday.

The event has been super-sized since the NFL schedule was released in April. In its effort to promote NBC's first Sunday night game, the league quickly circled this matchup and has worked tirelessly with the network to promote it.

"I can understand why," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Something like this might not happen again for another 75 years [after the Mannings retire]."

The main participants, Eli and Peyton, have been reticent about talking about their game.

"I think everyone has made a big deal more than Peyton and I," Eli said. "We've tried to make this thing as low-key as possible."

Across the nation this week, tales from every angle have been spun about the Mannings. But somehow Eli and Peyton have found time to just talk, like brothers might.

"It's not difficult to talk. I actually talked to him Tuesday night for about 20 minutes or so," Eli said. "The game doesn't come up. We just kind of talk about what we did over the weekend, things like that. It's less football talk and more personal stuff, what's going on in each other's lives."

"Usually we talk on Thursday nights and we've been doing this since college," Peyton said. "I'd call him and he'd tell me about Georgia's defense, and I'd tell him about the Dolphins' defense and we'd compare some X's and O's. We've done that some in the NFL, too. If the Giants are getting ready to play the Eagles or we're getting ready to play the Titans, we'll share some notes. Obviously I don't think we'll have that same conversation this week."

One of the topics was the first time Eli actually beat Peyton in an athletic event. It happened on a basketball court.

"There wasn't really a whole lot we could compete in growing up," Eli said. "He was five years older than me. We had a ping pong table, a bumper pool table and those games we used to play. I don't remember when I won at those things, but I can remember the first time I beat him in basketball. I was finally at the age where we were even enough where I could handle him. I don't know if it was really fair. I was in the middle of basketball season, playing for my high school. He hadn't shot a basketball in about five years, so I probably had an advantage over him."

Eli Manning's victory was sealed with a resounding dunk.

Now the stakes are much higher. Each leads teams with Super Bowl aspirations, hoping to make a national statement in their opening game. Their parents and brother and extended families will be there watching.

"It wasn't until I was getting ready for the draft [in 2004] and thinking about what teams I might be going to when I started realizing, `What if I get drafted by a team that's in the same division as Peyton?" Eli said. "What if we have to play twice a year? What if we're in the same conference?' That's when you start thinking about when you might get to play him or not.

"I guess it might be tough on my parents. They're both supportive and root for us so strong and to know one team is going to come out with a win and one is not, they never want to see one of us be disappointed or not succeed. So, I think they're very proud of us that we're in this situation, but it's going to be tough on them, and I know with my dad and my mom, they'll probably be a little nervous during the game."

Contact John Altavilla at jaltavilla@courant.com

to pass the time.

"It was where you would say, `Number 68,' and they would go back and forth naming players in the NFL who were that number," Eli Manning said. "It was kind of who could last the longest, and I'm just sitting there and I couldn't name one guy. When Peyton and Cooper were growing up, my dad was still playing for the Saints and Minnesota, so they were going into the locker room and knew the players. They were just around football. By the time I came around, my dad was done playing football, so I never got that atmosphere."

Peyton and Eli are now peers, college legends at Tennessee and Mississippi and first-round NFL draft picks. Come Sunday, they will also be the first brothers to start against each other at quarterback in NFL history.

"It's certainly unique," Peyton said Wednesday.

The event has been super-sized since the NFL schedule was released in April. In its effort to promote NBC's first Sunday night game, the league quickly circled this matchup and has worked tirelessly with the network to promote it.

"I can understand why," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "Something like this might not happen again for another 75 years [after the Mannings retire]."

The main participants, Eli and Peyton, have been reticent about talking about their game.

"I think everyone has made a big deal more than Peyton and I," Eli said. "We've tried to make this thing as low-key as possible."

Across the nation this week, tales from every angle have been spun about the Mannings. But somehow Eli and Peyton have found time to just talk, like brothers might.

"It's not difficult to talk. I actually talked to him Tuesday night for about 20 minutes or so," Eli said. "The game doesn't come up. We just kind of talk about what we did over the weekend, things like that. It's less football talk and more personal stuff, what's going on in each other's lives."

"Usually we talk on Thursday nights and we've been doing this since college," Peyton said. "I'd call him and he'd tell me about Georgia's defense, and I'd tell him about the Dolphins' defense and we'd compare some X's and O's. We've done that some in the NFL, too. If the Giants are getting ready to play the Eagles or we're getting ready to play the Titans, we'll share some notes. Obviously I don't think we'll have that same conversation this week."

One of the topics was the first time Eli actually beat Peyton in an athletic event. It happened on a basketball court.

"There wasn't really a whole lot we could compete in growing up," Eli said. "He was five years older than me. We had a ping pong table, a bumper pool table and those games we used to play. I don't remember when I won at those things, but I can remember the first time I beat him in basketball. I was finally at the age where we were even enough where I could handle him. I don't know if it was really fair. I was in the middle of basketball season, playing for my high school. He hadn't shot a basketball in about five years, so I probably had an advantage over him."

Eli Manning's victory was sealed with a resounding dunk.

Now the stakes are much higher. Each leads teams with Super Bowl aspirations, hoping to make a national statement in their opening game. Their parents and brother and extended families will be there watching.

"It wasn't until I was getting ready for the draft [in 2004] and thinking about what teams I might be going to when I started realizing, `What if I get drafted by a team that's in the same division as Peyton?" Eli said. "What if we have to play twice a year? What if we're in the same conference?' That's when you start thinking about when you might get to play him or not.

"I guess it might be tough on my parents. They're both supportive and root for us so strong and to know one team is going to come out with a win and one is not, they never want to see one of us be disappointed or not succeed. So, I think they're very proud of us that we're in this situation, but it's going to be tough on them, and I know with my dad and my mom, they'll probably be a little nervous during the game."

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

ping pong table: Giants QB Eli Manning Conference Call

September 6, 2006

QB-ELI MANNING (on how the week has been) September 6, 2006

R20;Honestly, it hasnR17;t been too bad. ItR17;s been a regular week. I havenR17;t talked to the media yet or anything, so for me, nothing has been different. WeR17;re just trying to get ready for the Colts and put in our game plan and get ready to play. WeR17;ve tried to keep it as normal as possible.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on how often he has spoken to Peyton recently and if it has been difficult to do that) September 6, 2006

R20;ItR17;s not difficult to talk. I actually talked to him last night for about 20 minutes or so. The game doesnR17;t come up. We donR17;t talk about practice or whatR17;s happening really at all. We just kind of talk about what we did over the weekend and things like that. WeR17;ve been able to talk during training camp and two-a-days. ItR17;s less football talk and more personal stuff and whatR17;s going on in each others lives. Whenever we talked anyway, that stuff always came up and now itR17;s the majority of our conversation. But I guess during training camp, football and some things would come up whereas now, theyR17;re not.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on how he would describe Peyton to someone that doesn’t know him) September 6, 2006

R20;I would describe Peyton as a hard worker, a guy who is very competitive, a guy who knows what he wants and when he gets dedicated toward something, or has the drive toward something, heR17;s very committed to it. HeR17;s a good guy. HeR17;s fun to be around when the football season is not in season, or whenever heR17;s not involved in football, heR17;s laid back and enjoys to laugh and be around family and friends. But once itR17;s time to work, heR17;s committed and concentrated on that.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on the best advice Peyton ever gave him) September 6, 2006

R20;He gave me tons of advice. I donR17;t know what the best advice is. I guess itR17;s that whatever you put into (something) is what youR17;re going to get out of it, which means however hard you work or how many hours you put and your dedication and work ethic, the better that is, the better youR17;ll be.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on shooting recent commercials together with his family and getting physical at the end with Peyton) September 6, 2006

R20;They said to really go after it this time and see what happens. I want to get the outtakes of that commercial, because we had some good battles going on. It was about to turn into a wrestling match, it never got real bad, no punches were thrown or anything, but we were on the ground and rolling around a little bit. We had a good time doing it, but we need to find a way to get the outtakes of that commercial. There will be some funny stuff on there.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on the first time he beat Peyton at sports) September 6, 2006

R20;I remember the first time I beat him in basketball. There wasnR17;t really a whole lot we could compete in growing up. He was five years older than me. We had a ping-pong table, a bumper pool table and those games we used to play. I donR17;t remember when I won at those things, but I can remember the first time I beat him in basketball. That was the first time it was a real competitive sport where I was finally at the age where we were even enough where I could handle him. I donR17;t know if it was really fair. I was in the middle of basketball season, I think, playing for my high school, and he hadnR17;t shot a basketball in about five years, so I probably had an advantage over him.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on Eli dunking on Peyton) September 6, 2006

R20;ThatR17;s how the game (that Eli won) ended. It was of one of those tight games, like 9-8, playing to 10, you got to win by two, and I was at the top of the key and he went for a steal, which didnR17;t work, I got by him and went for the dunk and thatR17;s how it ended. It was one thing to lose to your little brother, but to get dunked on the last play, he wasnR17;t too happy about it.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on his father, Archie, not pushing them as children) September 6, 2006

R20;He never pressured us into playing sports, or into a specific sport, or telling us, R16;Hey, letR17;s go work on this,R17; or R16;LetR17;s do drills.R17; He didnR17;t over-drill us. He was always there for us, he supported us if we wanted. He always wanted us to come to him and say, R16;Hey dad, can you come work with me with my drop?R17; Or he might come catch some balls. He would do it all. He would run routes for us and do everything to help us out, but he didnR17;t want us to be forced into something we didnR17;t want to do. He was always there for us and did everything he could to help us, but he wasnR17;t going to pressure us into doing anything.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on the first time he fathomed this scenario of facing Peyton in the NFL) September 6, 2006

R20;It probably never hit me until I was getting ready for the draft. When I was young, I wasnR17;t thinking, R16;Hey, I want to play in the NFL one day.R17; ThatR17;s just not how I thought. I was playing every sport. I was playing basketball, I was just having fun. I loved football and once I got into high school, I wanted to be a good high school player. From there, just try to get into college, and once I started getting some letters, you realize, I want to take this to the next step and go to college. And in college, I wanted to be a good college player. I had a good sophomore year and as a junior you start getting asked questions if youR17;re going to come out early (and enter the NFL Draft). ThatR17;s when you start realizing you can play at the next level, but it wasnR17;t until I was getting ready for the draft and thinking about what teams I might be going to. Then I started realizing, R16;What if I get drafted by a team thatR17;s in the same division as Peyton? What if we have to play twice a year? What if weR17;re in the same conference?R17; ThatR17;s when you start thinking about when you might get to play him or not.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on a story that might illustrate the difference in Eli and Peyton’s personalities) September 6, 2006

R20;Peyton and my brother (Cooper) were always, I remember going on road trips, and weR17;d be going and they would play the numbers game, where you would say, R16;Number 68,R17; and they would go back and forth naming players in the NFL who were that number. It was kind of who could last the longest, and IR17;m just sitting there and I couldnR17;t name one guy. We just grew up in a different, not a different time, but when Peyton and Cooper were growing up, my dad was still playing for the Saints and Minnesota, so they were going in the locker room and knew the players. They were just around football. By the time I came around, my dad was done playing football, so I never got that atmosphere where it was engrained on me as early as those two guys. So, I was never a guy who knew everybodyR17;s number or where everybody went to college and those things. I enjoyed playing the game, I enjoyed everything about it, but I probably didnR17;t know the history of the game as much as my two brothers.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on the Colts defense) September 6, 2006

R20;TheyR17;re fast, and I think their defense is built around speed and making plays. TheyR17;re aggressive. Whatever they see, they attack at it and believe in what they see and take their chances when they want to. They do a good job of mixing up defenses and theyR17;re not, I wouldnR17;t say overly complicated, just what they do, they do very well. And thatR17;s what makes it tough. They find a way to make plays and cause problems for offenses.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on the DEs – Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora) September 6, 2006

R20;Both defenses have a lot of talented players and especially the defensive ends. All four starting defensive ends had a bunch of sacks last year and caused problems for the offense. I think both sides have to have a plan for how theyR17;re going to control that. To say youR17;re going to sit back there in the pocket and stand there for a long period of time, itR17;s not going to happen very often. So, it should be interesting and hopefully weR17;ll be able to block it up long enough to get the ball in our receiversR17; hands.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on DE-Robert Mathis and is he a guy you want to get in a foot race with?) September 6, 2006

R20;No. I donR17;t want to get in a foot race with any of those guys. Mathis was a guy last year who primarily came in on third down and had 11 or 12 sacks, so heR17;s a guy who causes a lot of problems. And this year, heR17;s playing even more on first and second down, so you have to watch out. You canR17;t have all of your attention on Freeney and forget him. You have to watch out for Mathis because heR17;ll cause some major problems. Really, the whole defensive front is built around speed and the tackles are getting in there and using spin moves and getting to the quarterback. So, we have a big challenge up front, our offensive line, to go block those guys and create some lanes, running room for our backs and enough time to get the ball down the field for the passing game.R21;

QB-ELI MANNING (on who the game will be toughest on) September 6, 2006

R20;I guess it might be tough on my parents. TheyR17;re both supportive and root for us so strong and to know one team is going to come out with a win and one is not, they never want to see one of us be disappointed or not succeed. So, I think theyR17;re very proud of us that weR17;re in this situation, but itR17;s going to be tough on them, and I know with my dad and my mom, theyR17;ll probably be a little nervous during the game.R21;

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Monday, September 04, 2006

ping pong table: What are we laboring for, anyway?

By TOM TURNIPSEEDGuest columnist

Since the mid-1970s, American workers have put in longer hours and have seen real wages stagnate despite a near-doubling of our gross domestic product. Compared to other wealthy countries, Americans are working longer, and the gap between rich and poor in the United States has become the widest in the modern industrial world.

If minimum- and low-wage workers in America were not human beings, they’d be included on the endangered species list. And now it’s getting even harder for those workers and their families to carve out a subsistence in our economy.

The New York Times recently reported that wages and salaries make up the lowest share of our GDP since such data was first recorded in 1947. Corporate profits command the largest share of GDP since the 1960s, causing the investment bankers at UBS to describe the present period as “the golden era of profitability.”

Citing a 2 percent decline in the medium hourly wage since 2003 with inflation factored in, the Times article noted that the amount an average worker produces in an hour has risen steadily over the same period.

John de Graaf, national coordinator of the Take Back Your Time campaign, www.timeday.org, also noted that 40 percent of America’s workers got no vacation this year and said politicians should be asked, “What’s the economy for, anyway?”

De Graaf said: “Sure, we’ve got the grossest Domestic Product in the world, but there’s no time to enjoy all that stuff and we’re sacrificing so much. Americans can hardly find time to sit down to eat together anymore. Is our economy just for raising the Dow Jones average, or is it to provide healthy and happy kids, families and communities?”

Take Back Your Time program director Gretchen Burger said that nearly half of all Americans will reach Labor Day without even a week off this summer. “We’re the only industrial country without mandated paid time off for vacation, and even workers who get paid leave are giving a lot of it back because of excessive job demands or a fear their job could be in jeopardy if they take it. That’s not healthy — for our bodies, our families or our communities — and the situation is getting worse, not better.”

A National Institutes of Health study revealed that Americans were much less healthy than residents of the United Kingdom and twice as likely to suffer from chronic diseases. Several analysts pointed out that job stress and long working hours seem to be the prime culprits, leaving Americans with less time for exercise and relationships with family and friends, two of the most significant predictors of good health.

Take Back Your Time urges that issues such as paid family leave, sick leave and vacations be made priority subjects in this year’s congressional elections, to begin improving our health and the quality of American workers’ lives.

Take Back Your Time also suggests that personal and cultural change is needed as well.

“Let’s get back to the table,” says author Cecile Andrews, in echoing the theme for this year’s Take Back Your Time Day, which will be celebrated in many communities on Oct. 24. “We need to get back to the dinner table as families, to the card table as friends, to the pool table and ping-pong table for recreation. We’re putting all our time into either work or electronic media and our health and relationships are suffering as a result.”

Since the 1970s, family life has also suffered, points out Take Back Your Time board member William Doherty, professor of family studies at the University of Minnesota. Besides overwork, we’ve over-scheduled ourselves and our children. Doherty points out that shared family meals do more than help us bond; they’re also the leading predictor of how well students do in school.

So what, exactly, are we laboring for?

Mr. Turnipseed is a board member of Take Back Your Time and a Columbia attorney.